Devin Lehnert takes the sweep handoff from Tyler Palmer while Doug Brooks (left) looks for a chance to block a defender Thursday night ( November 14, 2019 ) in Floresville. Lehnert scored on this play, a 32-yard run as Shiner defeated Freer 77-7. [ NOTE: click photo to enlarge ]

Gazette photo by Mark Lube

FLORESVILLE —Regardless of the score or the game, Shiner Comanches just come out and play Comanche football.

Shiner scored 42 points in the opening period and went on to roll Freer Buckaroos 77-7 in the bi-district game Thursday night at Eschenburg Field in Floresville.

“We just wanted to come out here and do what we do,” Shiner head coach Daniel Boedeker said. “We say the scoreboard is irrelevant. We come out and we play fast, try to play physical and try to improve each week.”

“We came out hot,” senior defensive back/receiver Devin Lehnert said. “Freer was not the best team we have faced but it was about us knowing what to do. We basically went out and did everything we could do.”

Shiner ran the opening kickoff for a touchdown, ran back a fumble on a kickoff and took advantage of some turnovers in the first quarter to record six scores.

“Big plays,” Boedeker said. “When you get into the playoffs, guys have to make big plays. We had several guys step up; we came out with a lot of energy, a lot of fire and were excited to be in the playoffs.”

The Buckaroos mustered just 91 yards against the Comanches defense and only scored halfway through the fourth quarter to end the shutout.

“Our defense is getting better each week,” Boedeker said. “They are playing with a lot of confidence and playing well together. I am seeing improvements on things that we struggled with earlier in the season.

One might be concerned a team that takes such a gigantic lead early might start to lose focus or intensity.

Not the Comanches, who are well versed in focus and mental intensity.

“We want to be sharp and mentally focused. We do our thing and not worry about what the score is, and play football the way it is supposed to be played,” he said.

It took Shiner a mere 11 seconds to score as Dalton Brooks fielded the opening kickoff at his 22 and went all the way.

The Shiner defense gang-tackles a Freer ball carrier during Thursday’s bi-district action in Floresville. Shiner will return to action this Friday ( November 22, 2019 ) in the area-round game against the Hearne Eagles who edged Brackettville 41-36. [ NOTE: click photo to enlarge ]

Freer went three-and-out on its first drive, and had a punt to the Shiner 45. Donyai Taylor had runs of 6 and 13 yards, and then Doug Brooks went 36 yards for a 14-0 Shiner lead at the 8:36 mark.

Just 16 seconds ticked off the clock before Shiner had another score as Trevor Haynes recovered a Freer fumble on the kickoff at the Buckaroo 40 and returned it to the end zone.

More disaster for Freer as they fumbled on the next offensive series at their own 14 and Tyler Palmer scored on a quarterback run with eight minutes left in the quarter.

The Buckaroos struggled to move the ball but did pick up a first down on a penalty before losing another fumble at their 34. Palmer then connected with Dalton Brooks for a 34-yard touchdown pass for a 35-0 lead.

Lehnert made it 42-0 after Shiner started the next drive at the Freer 32 and he took a jet sweep to the house.

Freer got another first down on the next drive, via a pass but eventually sent a punt into Shiner’s side of the field.

Taylor then took a jetsweep handoff and scored from 66 yards. The Comanches started their next possession near the 50 but a penalty moved it back to the 34. No big deal for the Purple as Doug Brooks took a handoff and race 66 yards for his second score of the night.

On Shiner’s next drive, the Comanches found themselves with a 3rd-and-9 at their own 42. Palmer hit tight end Cole Patek for 34 yards to the Freer 24 and Haynes scored on a 24-yard run for his second overall score of the game for a 63-0 lead.

Shiner got one more score in before halftime as Palmer found Zane Rhodes for a 46-yard pass with the point after no good and the Comanches led 69-0 at that point. Freer moved the ball to

near the 50 on the first drive of the second half but lost another fumble. Two runs to total 14 yards by Noah Nevlud got the ball to the 32, backup quarterback Ryan Peterson had an 8-yard run to the 24 and Nevlud scored on the next play. Peterson hit Michael Williams for the twopoint conversion and Shiner led 77-0 with just over five minutes left in the third.

Later in the fourth period, the Freer defense stopped Shiner on a fourth down deep in Comanche territory and finished the short drive with a 13-yard pass from Hondo Bierstedt to Elliot Ramirez.

GAME STATISTICS

  Shiner 77, Freer 7
    UIL Class 2A, Division I Bi-District Playoff
    November 15, 2019 @ 7:00 p.m.
    Eschenburg Field, Floresville


  SCORING SUMMARY

                  1    2    3    4      F
  Freer           0    0    0    7  --  7
  Shiner         42   27    8    0  -- 77


  SCORING DETAILS:

    First Quarter
      S - Dalton Brooks 78 kickoff return (Connor Winkenwerder kick), 11:49 1Q.
      S - Doug Brooks 36 run (Winkenwerder kick), 8:36 1Q.
      S - Trevor Haynes 40 fumble return (Winkenwerder kick), 8:20 1Q.
      S - Tyler Palmer 14 run (Winkenwerder kick), 8:00 1Q.
      S - Dalton Brooks 34 pass from Palmer (Winkenwerder kick), 5:22 1Q.
      S - Devin Lehnert 32 run (Winkenwerder kick), 2:32 1Q.

    Second Quarter
      S - Donyai Taylor 66 run (Winkenwerder kick), 11:45 2Q.
      S - Doug Brooks 66 run (Winkenwerder kick), 9:20 2Q.
      S - Haynes 24 run (Winkenwerder kick), 4:08 2Q.
      S - Zane Rhodes 46 pass from Palmer (kick failed), 1:03 2Q.

    Third Quarter
      S - Noah Nevlud 24 run (Michael Williams pass from Ryan Peterson),5:19 3Q.

    Fourth Quarter
      F - Elliot Ramirez 13 pass from Hondo Bierstedt (Lonnie Adams kick), 6:30 4Q.


  TEAM STATISTICS:

                        Freer      Shiner
    First downs             9          15
    Rushes-yards        26-11      23-369
    Passing yards          80         114
    Passes             6-16-1         3-4
    Penalties-yards      4-25        9-80
    Fumbles-lost          4-4         1-0
    Punts-aver         6-24.8       0-0.0


  INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:

  Rushing
    F: Lonnie Adams 12-24, Ryan Buhidar 2-(-1), Jose Gonzalez 2-(-2), Enrique Chavez 1-(-3).
    S: Doug Brooks 2-102, Donyai Taylor 3-85, Noah Nevlud 3-38, Devin Lehnert 1-32,
       Makvlin Burchell 3-29, Eli Fric 5-26, Trevor Haynes 1-24, Tyler Palmer 1-14, Zane Rhodes 2-1.

  Passing
    F: Bierstedt 6-16-1-80.
    S: Palmer 3-3-0-114, Peterson 0-1-0.

  Receiving
    F: Elliot Ramirez 4-64, Buhidar 2-16.
    S: Rhodes 1-46, Dalton Brooks 1-34, Cole Patek 1-34.